Laki Mulipola Leiataua

Laki Mulipola Leiataua
Member of the Samoa Parliament
for Aiga i le Tai
In office
4 March 2016 – 9 April 2021
Preceded byIfopo Matia Filisi
Succeeded byAuapaau Mulipola Aloitafua
Personal details
Political partyHuman Rights Protection Party

Laki Mulipola Leiataua (born ~1970)[1] is a Samoan politician and former member of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa. He is a member of the Human Rights Protection Party.

Mulipola is from Salua on Manono Island.[1] He was educated at Salua Manono Primary School, A’ana Secondary School, Samoa College and the National University of Samoa.[1] He worked as a customs agent for nine years before starting his own freight forwarding business. In 2015 he was convicted and discharged of negligent driving causing death after a traffic incident.[2] He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Samoa in the 2016 Samoan general election[1] and appointed Associate Minister of Finance.[3][4]

He sought nomination for the 2021 election, but it was refused on the basis that his 2015 conviction made him ineligible to stand.[5] He subsequently withdrew a petition challenging this decision[2] and retired from parliament at the end of the term.[5][6] In his final speech, he complained that the FAST Party campaigning in his electorate had caused him "sleepless nights".[7][8]

  1. ^ a b c d Sarafina Sanerivi (17 March 2016). "Mulipola honours calling". Samoa Observer. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (11 November 2020). "Associate Minister withdraws election petition". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  3. ^ "Samoa's former deputy PM left out". RNZ. 25 March 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Samoa PM Names 13 Associate Ministers". Talanei. 26 March 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  5. ^ a b Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (22 January 2021). "Two Associate Ministers bow out from parliament". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Aiga-ile-Tai Sitting MP Not Seeking Re-Election". Sunline Samoa. 23 January 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  7. ^ Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong (25 February 2021). "M.P. loses sleep over opposition rally". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  8. ^ Marieta H Ilalio (26 February 2021). "Questions Raised about Member of Parliament Convictions Ignites War of Words". Samoa Global News. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.